Best Rice Cooker: Top 5 Best Rated High-End Rice Cookers 2017

The best rice cooker can prepare a variety of rice types perfectly without a lot of manual intervention. Modern rice cookers range the gamut from basic electric pressure cookers to fuzzy logic-enhanced, voice-enhanced, smart NFC control-capable marvels. It’s important to emphasize that no matter how fancy the rice cooker, the most important feature of the best rice cooker is how well it cooks rice.

The best rice cooker is a pressure cooker with plenty of safety features that make it completely safe to use without fear of a pressure-related, heat-related, or electricity-related incident.

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It has quality construction and materials that insure it will function properly over a long life.

You can expect it to have multiple cooking functions that cover the most popular rice types and even some functions for other foods like soup and porridge.

It should have an internal pressure vessel that’s easy to clean with a non-stick surface if possible.

If you’re not a rice aficionado, you may be surprised at how expensive the top rice cookers are. It’s really the difference between just making rice and making perfectly textured rice with the richest, sweetest flavor.

A Zojirushi rice cooker is the go-to brand of rice cooker for those who are serious about their rice and so it won’t surprise you to find three of their models in our list.

We searched cooking forums, manufacturer sites, retail sites, consumer sites, social media, and customer review sites to find the most popular and highly rated rice cookers.

Take a look at our list and see if one of these popular rice cookers is the best rice cooker for your needs!

Automatic Temperature Control Thermostat under the inner pot regulates temperature of the inner pot within a safe range based on the type of food cooked

High Temperature Warning stops heating when the temperature reaches overheating
Extreme Temperature and Power Protection Fuse disconnects power at excessively high temperatures or extremely high electrical current levels

This Cuckoo CRP-CHSS1009FN Electric Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker in Silver is one of the most technologically advanced rice cookers you will find. As such it’s also one of the most expensive. What do we mean by technology? How about voice navigation in three languages? What about Smart NFC Technology and a connected app for Android devices that allows you to control the cooker from your smartphone? It even has Cuckoo Smart Algorithm DSP technology that controls heat and heating temperature by the minute to give you the perfect results you demand for each type of grain you cook. It also comes with 21 built-in safety features that keep you safe under all conditions. In other words, this rice cooker is loaded with capability that makes it easy to use, one of the safest to operate, and capable of cooking a variety of your favorite rice grains perfectly first time every time. It uses induction heating all around for even cooking and the pressure cooking preserves more nutrients in your rice than other cooking methods. It’s not our first choice because of the price, but this may be the best rice cooker.

One of the safest rice cookers on the market this model comes with 21 built-in safety features.

Features

10-cup, 1455W, smart electronic induction heating rice cooker with Fuzzy Logic and Cuckoo Smart Algorithm DSP Technology that controls pressure and heat by the minute to deliver the perfect taste for each dish by insuring each grain of rice is fully cooked and delivers maximum flavor

Voice navigation can control your Cuckoo rice cooker in English, Korean, or Chinese

Stainless steel rice cooker with full stainless steel 10-cup inner pot and stainless steel ventilation pipe are durable for long life, and clean up more easily

One of three Zojirushi rice cookers in our list, the Zojirushi NP-NVC10 1.0-Liter Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer in Stainless Brown is a 5-1/2-cup model that uses superior induction heating cook rice for the best results. It features advanced Fuzzy Logic technology with integrated Artificial Intelligence that learns and adjusts the cooking cycle to produce perfect results first time, every time. It automatically selects from three pressure settings according to the menu selected for best cooking results. It’s also capable of compensating for seasonal differences in ambient temperature, changes in water temperature, remembers the capacity you cook most often and selects the best cooking flow, sets the precise pre-soaking time for raw grains, and adjusts the time for the final wait period during steaming. This model uses a platinum-infused non-stick inner cooking pan to change the water quality and allow your rice to absorb water easily for better tasting rice. Other convenience features include multiple built-in cooking functions, an interchangeable melody and beep signal to signal the end of the cooking cycle, automatic keep warm, and a detachable stainless-steel inner lid. Safety features include a pressure-control valve, a back-up safety valve, an inner lid filter, and a pressure indicator on the control panel, which locks the lid during pressure-cooking. This model’s performance, features, and safety could make it the best rice cooker for your kitchen.

Included Accessories

Features

With Induction Heating, the heat comes from the entire inner cooking pan instead of just the bottom of the pan allowing for higher, more precise, and more uniform cooking temperatures throughout

Artificial Intelligence with Fuzzy Logic Technology microchip allows the rice cooker to “learn” from past cooking experiences and adjusts the cooking “flow” to cook ideal rice as well as compensating for seasonal differences in ambient and water temperature

A Platinum-infused non-stick coating on the inner cooking pan alkalizes water which breaks down the protein on the surface of the rice grain making it easier for water to penetrate enhancing gelatinization for sweeter, better tasting rice

Umami setting soaks rice before cooking longer than the regular white rice setting releasing sugar into the water that attaches itself to the surface of the rice making it taste sweeter

Reheat Function reheats rice that has been kept warm for 5-8 minutes to bring the temperature closer to that immediately following cooking

Keep Warm Monitor detects how many times the lid has been opened and for how long to calculate the amount of rice left inside the inner cooking pan and adjusts heat to the ideal keep warm temperature and then alerts you by beeping four times at 10, 40, or 70 minutes after cooking if the lid has not been opened

The Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer in Stainless Black makes perfect rice that’s not too mushy or too firm with all the natural sweetness you expect in every bite at the push of a button. This smaller 3-cup model from Zojirushi features an expanded menu that includes steel cut oatmeal and GABA brown rice settings giving you some healthier options. This small rice cooker is ideal for small families or couples and can make as little as ½-cup of rice or oats. It’s no slouch on technology with Advanced Fuzzy Logic that automatically prepares rice just the way you like it. Triple heater design with bottom, side, and lid heaters generates even heat surrounding your rice. The beautiful clear-coated, stainless steel, Stainless Black color exterior of this rice maker will complement any kitchen décor and make cleanup fast and easy.

Best Rice Cooker

What do you think of these top rated rice cookers? Which rice cooker are you planning to buy? Please take a moment to leave a comment below.

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A rice cooker can be used to make a variety of rice types as well as other steamed foods. We sincerely hope that this article has provided you with valuable information that helps you choose the best rice cooker for your needs!

About Author

Mark R

Mark is a Systems Engineer with an advanced degree who has been trained to interface between non-engineers and engineers to design products that meet customer needs. He uses this training to help consumers make smart choices about the products they buy. He is a prolific writer who loves to research and provide helpful information about consumer products. He calls Virginia home along with his wife and three kids and loves all that it has to offer including the mountains, the beaches, and the historic sites. His hobbies include his three kids, NASCAR, F1, IndyCar, Premier League Soccer, UEFA Soccer, and MLS Soccer. You can find him on Google+ or Twitter